About the Filmmakers

Written by Administrator

Wednesday, 12 November 2008 02:59

ROBIN GREENBERG: DIRECTOR/PRODUCER

Robin Greenberg has over 20 years of experience as an independent director and producer of documentary and educational film/video internationally, including New Zealand, USA, India, Kosovo and Sri Lanka. Her work includes a Public Awareness Campaign on landmine issues in Sri Lanka for the United Nations (2003), in collaboration with Young Asia TV, as well as director of a series of Public Service Announcement videos for the United Nations in Kosovo (2002) and Sri Lanka (2003). Robin more recently directed and co-produced the feature-length documentary "Huloo" (67 minutes, New Zealand 2008) on the remarkable life story of T'ai Chi master and master mariner Loo-Chi Hu (Huloo). As one the Free China junk-mates, it's his life that inspired Robin to make "The Free China Junk".

Robin's other documentaries include: "TU TANGATA: Weaving for the People" (68 minutes, New Zealand 2000), a collaboration with the community of the Waiwhetu Marae, featuring master Maori weaver Erenora Puketapu-Hetet; and "He Waka Hono Tangata / A Canoe that Unites the People" (42 minutes, New Zealand 2005) about Maori master carver Rangi Hetet and the building of a traditional 'waka taua' (war canoe) as a symbol of peace and cultural revival.

MICHELE TURNURE-SALLEO: ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

Michele Turnure-Salleo has produced and directed projects for film and television for more than 15 years around the world, including in Sydney, Berlin, Vancouver, and Marseille. She was Associate Producer of Regret to Inform, an Oscar-Nominated documentary about the effect of the Vietnam War on war widows. Her work includes Double Vision, an hour-length documentary about an innovative French opera company, feature narratives, short documentaries and narratives, artist profiles, PSA's and aboriginal dance videos. During her two-years as In-House Producer at the Banff Centre for the Arts in Canada, Turnure-Salleo produced documentary series for national broadcast, which included more than twenty half-hour episodes. She currently heads the San Francisco Film Society's new fiscal sponsorship and regrant program.

GAVIN LAURIE: ASSOCIATE PRODUCER, EDITOR & SOUND DESIGN

Gavin Laurie began his career in the UK in local news in 1997. He worked as an editor for Granada Television and Mancheseter United Television, and then spent three years in Edinburgh working as a freelance editor for various clients, including the BBC. After moving to New Zealand in 2003, Gavin continued to freelance as an editor, while also working as a tutor at Victoria University's Design School on the Digital Media Design course. He started Sirocco, a post-production company based in Wellington, in 2003. Gavin has worked on numerous short films and documentaries, including Gaylene Preston's "Time of Our Lives" and "Lovely Rita".

CHRISTIAN BRUNO: DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY (SAN FRANCISCO)

Christian Bruno is a San Francisco-based independent filmmaker and cinematographer. His short documentary, Pie Fight '69, made with Sam Green (The Weather Underground), received awards at the Sundance and Black Maria Film Festivals and continues to play worldwide. His recent cinematography work includes "Wilderness School", "Rock Haven", "This is Not a Photograph: Mission of Burma", and Natalija Vekic's "Lost and Found". His latest film, "Strand: A Natural History of Cinema", explores the rise and fall of San Francisco's single screen movie theatre culture.

CLAY WESTERVELT: DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY (LOS ANGELES)

Earning multiple cinematography awards before receiving his MFA at USC, Clay quickly earned a reputation as a professional DP shooting eleven award-winning narratives and documentaries and working with such directors as Randal Kleiser, Jim Parriot, and Jeremy Kagan. In 2001, Clay founded Imaginaut Entertainment, an independent production company dedicated to innovative, educational, and entertaining programming. In addition to commercials, PSAs, and TV pilots, Imaginaut Entertainment produced the award-winning children's series Storyline Online, showcasing such talents as Elijah Wood, Camryn Manheim, Jason Alexander, and Al Gore.

JIM "KIMO" WEST: MUSIC

Jim "Kimo" West is a Los Angeles and Hawaii-based composer, producer and guitarist. He also is well known as one of the world's top Hawaiian "slack key" guitarists and performs at many of of Hawaii's legendary festivals. In order to maintain his sense of humor, he also works as guitarist and co-producer for the world's foremost musical satirist,"Weird Al" Yankovic, with whom he has been credited with four Grammy's and many platinum and gold records, with sales of over 12 million records.